CLUB RULES

If you wish to read the club Rule book please click here

LINKS

ENGLISH SHORT MAT ASSOCIATION
www.esmba.co.uk

LONDON COUNTY SHORT MAT ASSOCIATION

www.londoncsmba.weebly.com

ADVICE FOR BOWLERS
All of the leagues above have endeavoured to keep up a fairly high standard of sportsmanship and etiquette and for bowlers new to participating in these competitions and to save any embarrassing moments in the early part of the season the following items ought to ensure that you will enjoy taking part. It is normal practice that all players stand behind the fender while waiting to bowl. However you may find that seating is located alongside, but away from, the bowling mat near the fender; this normally means that the bowler on the mat is not unduly affected by people in his sight line, even though they are in front of him/her but in any case please try to keep your feet still.

Before commencing a new end please ensure that the fender is placed in its correct position with the front edge of the fender in line with the ditch line. When changing ends you may also find that the fender at the head end has not been correctly positioned, please bring this to the attention of your number three so that they can set the fender correctly before the skips bowl. Please also remember that if the fender is displaced at any time it should be repositioned before the next player bowls; please be aware of the rules regarding bowls displaced into the ditch area and, especially, any woods that come into contact with the floor. Please do not place feet on the fender to stop it moving. Should a wood be played with sufficient force that it comes over the fender, and this has happened, there would be a serious risk of injury if that wood were to hit a shin bone. A wood hitting and deflecting the fender would have a lot of its momentum dissipated should the fender move.

Please mark all touchers, where possible, before the next player bowls. Where this is not possible please agree with your opposite number that the wood is nominated, and mark that wood as soon as practicable. When a Jack and/or Toucher enters the ditch area please mark its position with chalk so that it may be replaced if moved unlawfully. If a toucher or jack is moved lawfully while in the ditch its new position must be remarked. Please ensure that you have both blackboard chalk and puffer chalk available for this purpose.

When changing ends please do not walk on the mat otherwise woods may fall over. However, there may often not be sufficient space between mats for this to be done and you will have to walk on the mats, please do so with consideration so as not to disturb the bowls in the head. Similarly, one must also be aware that you do not walk into the eyeline of a bowler delivering their wood, if that is a possibility please wait until the wood has been bowled.

Please ensure that you have a copy of the local rules that apply to each of the leagues, as well as those issued by ESMBA. Three pieces of equipment that should also be available are a line square, to determine whether a wood or jack has crossed a line, a set of feeler gauges and a pair of screw operated callipers. Those doing the measuring will have their own measure but I would recommend that they purchase a set of jack and wood chocks to ensure jacks do not move or woods fall inadvertently. Although Short Mat Bowls is similar to outdoors Bowls there are some differences. A delivered wood must come to rest in the live area. If it comes to rest in the ditch, or with part of it crossing the ditch line it will be removed. However, should it be a toucher, it remains live and is not removed, remember that once it has fully crossed the ditch line its position in the ditch must be marked. The ditch line is the front edge of the line that defines the ditch area. When the jack is be fully over this line it can only be moved by being impacted on by a toucher. If it is moved by a non-toucher it is reinstated to its original position. This also applies to touchers in the ditch area. You may, if it is necessary to do so, play a weighted or firing shot with the intention of disturbing the head. Before playing this shot please give a loud verbal message to the head end together with a visual indication that you are playing with weight. Those who are at the head end should then move to the side of the mat to stop any deflected wood from travelling onto adjacent mats causing those heads to be disturbed. Please do not bowl until these precautions have been put in place. When ends have been decided please ensure that number threes, as you are playing rinks, inform those responsible for keeping the scorecard (normally number two) of the shots for or against; the skip should also be informed.

The ESMBA rule book covers most, but not all, eventualities. Where a situation arises that is not covered by this rule book or the local league rules please remember, when trying to come to an agreeable solution, that good sportsmanship and common sense will prevail.